Elsie Weisserose
Lady Elsie Weisserose is the daughter of Lord Raymond and Lady Sylvia Weisserose, and the older sister of Lord Reynalden Weisserose. Elsie and Reynalden had been separated for 40 years since Reynalden was adopted out as an infant, away from his true family for his own safety and raised in Dalaran. The two lost track of each other, each not even knowing if the other was alive. They recently reunited quite by chance when Arathi was evacuated and Lady Elsie was forced to leave her estate and seek shelter in a refugee station - where her brother was aiding the relief effort. Her Ladyship, Elsiebeth Weisserose stands poised and erect, making her appear taller than her 5' 10". Trained to always show poise and decorum, she carries herself with understated elegance and propriety. Now in her 40's, her hair, which used to be the color of wild honey, is now lighter with a few strands of silver. Her blue eyes are a bit more grey now, but still sparkle and crinkle at the corners when she smiles. Her features are angular, and her slender build betrays the fact that she never had the joy of bearing children. She has never married, and has no heirs. House Weisserose Family History From http://moon-guard.wikia.com/wiki/House_Weisserose?title=House_Weisserose&cb=5058 Lord Edel Weiss is known as the primary ancestor and first of the Weisserose Nobles. Being one of the many founders of the Kingdom of Alterac--having taken part in one of the human migrations out of the Arathi Highlands and the subsequent settling of City-States (which became the Seven Human Kingdoms we know today)--Lord Edel was attributed with noble lineage and a tract of land. He had two children, who came to be known as Lord Edrick Weiss and Lady Adel Weiss. Lord Edrick Weiss had been given two sons, by name of Edward and Alrick; meanwhile, Lady Adel Weiss had given birth to two daughters, by name of Lady Adelaide Weiss and Lady Belle Weiss. When Edward had died before conceiving children and Belle had become a Priestess, only Alrick and Adelaide Weiss produced children. Lord Alrick Weiss had been given a son, by name of Lord Rodrick Weiss; meanwhile, Lady Adelaide Weiss had given birth to a son and a daughter, by name of Lord Adam Weiss and Lady Madeline Weiss. When Rodrick was slain in battle, the duties of the House fell heavily on Adam--leaving Madeline in charge of securing the Family's legitimacy and renown, however unorthodox a duty for a woman at the time. By staying single and allowing her natural charm to negotiate with neighboring Houses--so as to achieve legitimacy through a Man and attain greater renown by having others vouch for House Weisserose--Lady Madeline had expanded the Family's lands and even negotiated a union of two Houses: Weiss and Rose. As House Rose had only one daughter, known only as "the Heiress of Rose", Lady Madeline had made the alliance in the best way possible: marriage. Thus, the Heiress of Rose had been betrothed to Lord Adam Weiss and their son was to become the heir of both House Weiss and House Rose. To symbolize the union, the Families had agreed to call themselves "House Weisserose" and the child bore the name of Raymond Weisserose. When Lord Anduin Lothar had fled with other Stormwind Humans to Southshore and spoke to King Terenas Menethil II about the Orcs, Lord Raymond Weisserose had gone to attend Terenas' meeting of all Human Kings--supposedly, in the hall with other Noblemen and just outside of the Alterac Royal Family's Booth. When Anduin Lothar spoke of the Horde and how no Kingdom alone could stand against the ravenous Orcs, the Alterac Nobles and King Aiden Perenolde discussed their options. While many Alterac Nobles believed they could face the Orcs alone, others believed that not siding with the proposed alliance would make them prone to being invaded by the other Kingdoms. However reluctantly or even doubtfully he did this, King Aiden Perenolde had sworn to pledge the Kingdom of Alterac to the Alliance of Lordaeron. During the last days of the Second War's first half, Alterac's Nobles once again discussed their options with their King; after the Bronzebeard Dwarves' inability to fight the Horde made them choose to hide within Ironforge, the Orcs under Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer had stolen metal and had constructed boats--destined to land in Southshore. Sensing Alterac was in peril and sure to be invaded by the Orcs, many of the Nobles begged Perenolde to stop the impending invasion. When Perenolde had chosen to try and "buy-off" the Horde, most considered it the best option. Lord Raymond, however, did not. Fearing his political career and how the others would speak of him, Lord Raymond sat quietly and offered no resistance when Perenolde made his decision. Quickly departing back home, he urged his Wife to consider sending their infant son--Reynalden--somewhere else and for his own protection. Reynalden's Mother, Lady Sylvia Weiss, had believed Dalaran to be more defensible and better-equipped than Alterac and sent for her friend--the Wife of an Archmagus--to take Reynalden with her and protect him. While Hagar Arkenstone and her husband, Archmagus Hrogoth took care of the infant Reynalden and raised him, the Family began to fall apart: Elsie Weisserose, the female sibling of Reynalden, had been forced to witness the Orcish Horde rampaging through their home and was utterly disgusted when other Nobles began to join the Syndicate and has never been seen since. Sylvia Weisserose had perished when the Black Dragons of the Horde burned down Alterac City--as per a deal with Perenolde in exchange for the Book of Medivh. At some point, Lord Raymond was killed by Syndicate and the estate was used as a hideout for their operations in neighboring Strahnbrad. To this day and on a personal level, the adult Lord Reynalden Weisserose despises the Syndicate and those who supported Perenolde--offering them little mercy or tolerance, despite his otherwise calm and compassionate demeanor. The House regards any and all Syndicate as enemies to be killed upon sight--the same goes for the Crushridge Ogres in the ruins. Personal History Circa 20 years ago. Elsie was furious, but her breeding would not allow her to simply break down and have a fit. No, she must honor her mother's memory and the careful instruction she had been born and bred with. "A Lady simply does not go red in the face and explode in front of others" she could hear mother's gentle voice ring in her head. "Do that later in private, if you must, but in the presence of others, you will show decorum". The presence of others, did that mean her own father? Even now? Lord Raymond had just informed her that the Syndicate wished for House Weisserose to join forces with them, and he felt backed into a corner, and forced to consider their offer. Elsie's breath came in short bursts and her fists clenched into tight balls, but otherwise a casual onlooker would only notice that her normally upright posture was a bit more rigid than usual. "You sold out once already, Father, and look what it got you, mother is dead" she said flatly. That one statement spoke volumes, and both Elsie and her Father knew it. Lady Sylvia Weisserose had died in Elsie's arms, horribly burned when the estate was attacked by Orcs. Elsie herself had narrowly escaped the flames and the carnage, but the memory now scarred her for life. "Now you want to join forces with those..... murderers!" She stared at him, her face a study of anger and disbelief. So this is what it meant to grow up - to finally understand that the Father you idolized in your childhood was simply a mere man - the Lord of the Family Dynasty was weak and without the strength she imagined him to have. Elsie's father sighed and rubbed his temples. He spoke slowly, as if attempting to explain something to a young child, which he no doubt still viewed her as his little girl, though she now stood before him, a young woman in her 20's. "I see no other option. I seek diplomacy - political correctness - survival.... daughter, I am simply trying to save what is left of this family and what it stands for." Elsie's nostrils flared. "Mother is dead and Rey has simply vanished. How's it working for you Father?" she asked sarcastically, her voice shaking. "Yes, siding with the Syndicate makes perfect sense, the answer to all your troubles!" her voice was rising now, despite her best efforts to appear calm. Lord Raymond admonished her by raising a finger in the air. "Know your place" he snapped. "And what exactly, IS my place, Father?" she retorted defiantly. She was surprised at herself - when mother was alive, Elsie would never have dared to speak to her father this way. Lord Raymond rose from his chair, and his gaze bore down on her. "Your place is here with me, to do as I direct. You WILL obey me, and you WILL support me in my decisions lest we lose everything, including our lives". Elsie stared at him, surprised at her own resolve. "I will not support your cowardice, and I will not compromise my morals to join the Syndicate and become a thief and a murderer" her eyes flashed. "If mother could see you now, she would be appalled." Elsie blinked her eyes now, working to erase the tears which now sprang to the surface, despite her best efforts to keep them at bay. This was all too much. Talking about mother always brought the horrible memories to the surface, always got her heart racing too fast, made her feel panicked and dizzy. "Post-War syndrome" the doctors had called it, offering little in the way of treatment, other than to not mention her mother or the Orcs that had killed her and trampled her home. Elsie suddenly sat down and gripped the arms of the chair, her face pale as she struggled to control her breathing. Lord Raymond immediately softened and knelt by her side. "Easy now, easy" he soothed, patting her hand. "Slow breaths, that's it." He snapped his fingers and immediately a servant appeared with water and smelling salts. It was a full half-hour before Elsie could breathe normally again, and her color returned - but it was long enough to make a decision. "I'm leaving, Father." she said quietly and simply, expecting an explosion in return from her Father. Surprisingly, he didn't answer right away - and when he did, he, too, was very calm. Perhaps he had a sudden premonition, she'd never know - but he actually agreed with her. "Quite right, leave you must" he turned away and stroked his beard, deep in thought. "You'll go to Arathi, to the small estate on the seashore. You will take half the servants, and half of your inheritance" He looked at her. She was astonished. "Yes. We will divide the estate, and separate for now, that way, we have a chance. Once things have settled down, we will discuss what to do." As if that settled it, Lord Raymond Wiesserose walked away, making plans. The next few days, Raymond spent hours with his advisors, planning his daughter's relocation, with a careful dividing of the estate. Everything - finances, possessions, servants, even livestock - was evenly divided and moved discreetly to Elsie's new residence on the Arathi shore. When the day finally came for Elsie to leave her Father's estate and travel to her new home, she allowed him to embrace her. "Light be with you" he said softly. "And with you, Father" she answered, giving him a squeeze. Suddenly, she was afraid. "Don't let the syndicate bully you into joining them" she begged one last time, but he held a finger to her lips. "Let me worry about them. Just go get settled, and take good care of yourself" He squeezed her one last time and then helped her up into the carriage. As the horses headed out of the yard, carrying her away, she caught one last glimpse of him, an old man, standing alone. She never saw him again. 20 Years of Exile Lady Elsie Weisserose would spend the next twenty years, living alone (except for her servants and staff) on the isolated east coast of Arathi. The Weisserose family's small summer estate, shielded by mountains on one side and bordered by ocean on the other, had no roads going in or out, and so it was well hidden to all but the odd fishing boat that would meander past. The small estate was comfortable, but not meant for permanent residency. The family had only used it a few times in order to take a holiday. It consisted of a large cottage for the family with a few smaller cottages for servants and staff, stables, a dock, and a small garden. Elsie and her entourage arrived with half of the family estate, so it was immediately apparent that there was no room to store everything, or have everone settled comfortably. The addition of livestock, around 20 head of cattle, the same number of sheep, pigs, chickens, geese and ducks, also needed proper lodging. Elsie wasted no time in sending a small party to Dun Morough in search of Dwarven builders and engineers. Sparing no expense, she had them begin building more out-buildings, corrals, fenced off pastures, and even plowing large tracts of land to plant hay for the livestock. Many admired her for taking care of "everyone else first" and seeming to leave her own needs for last, but only her closest, and most trusted staff knew what she had in mind once everything was set up outside. Elsie's experiences with Orcs and Syndicate had left her traumatized and afraid - so much so that she felt a need to build a hidden fortress for herself and her family's wealth. After conferring with the Dwarven engineers, an ambitious tunneling system was carved into the mountain, using a small cottage that resembled all the other servant's quarters, as its entrance. It took five years of tunneling and building, but the end result was a marvel of Dwarvish engineering and construction. Deep within the mountain behind the estate, was a labarynth of tunnels, in which Elsie stored much of the family's wealth. Toward the entrance were root cellars and cold rooms for storing vegetables and produce. They were even cold enough to store milk and cream from her own dairy cows. Deeper into the mountain, the discovery of a thermal vent created a natural heat source for living quarters. Also, thanks to a built-in ventilation system, she had fireplaces in several of the rooms, and the draft from the heat they produced, pulled in fresh air at the same time. It was efficient and cozy. Deep within the mountain, the builders created Elsie's home, with rooms lined with wooden walls, floors inlaid with tile, and "faux windows" painted with pastoral scenes, draped with heavy velvet curtains. If one did not realize they were in fact underground, the rooms would have them thoroughly fooled, thinking they were within the keep of a beautifully designed castle. Here, Elsie lived comfortably, if not feeling rather alone, until she was just over 40 years of age. In that time of exile, she became somewhat of an expert in farming, husbandry, and administering a self-sustaining estate. Her staff members - servants, farmers, stable boys, cooks and assistants, happily stayed with her for the duration, and, while most of them lived in the comfortable buildings around the underground estate, they all knew the tunnel system well. They knew - if the estate was ever discovered and attacked by Orcs or Syndicate, they were to flee to the tunnel and seal the secret wall, an engineered sliding device that could be locked from the inside. If they had to, they could live for years underground without ever having to venture outside. Post-Exile Elsie was forced to leave her secure underground hideout when the order came to evacuate during the recent Arathor War, dubbed "March on the Highlands". Elsie herself decided to obey the order, while leaving the bulk of her household - around 20 hired staff, behind, confident that they would be safe within the tunnes until she returned. And so with five of her guards, she left the security of the Arathi coast and fled to Alterac, where, through an amazing coincidence, she ended up at a refugee camp that was organized by her own brother, Lord Commander Reynalden Weisserose. It did not take long for the long-separated siblings to discover each other's identity, and a joyful and tearful reunion had the entire camp rejoicing with them. It was immediately decided that Lady Elsie would be moved to the Weisserose Estate in Alterac, and, when it was safe to do so, her staff members and belongings on her Arathi estate would be recovered and brought back to her true home. Once the war was over and it was deemed safe to travel, Elsie led Reynalden and a large contingent of his soldiers to her Arathi home, and showed them the secret entrance to the tunnel. It was immediately apparent that the tunnel had been breached, and so the recovery of the Wiesserose estate was fraught with danger as they were forced to creep through the mile-long corridor to the storage rooms and living quarters. Elsie was heart-broken as she imagined her beloved household staff members to be slaughtered. Once the group finally reached their destination, they were ambushed by an even larger group of bandits who were in the process of looting, however, the superior armor, skill and weapons of their group managed to quickly deal with the intruders. Once the dust settled, Elsie fully expected to see the bodies of her servants, but there were none. Realizing they might all be hiding in one spot, she quickly moved to a wall with a hidden door, and slid it open... to the sight of twenty pairs of frightened eyes staring at her from the shadows. As they recognized her and all piled out, one by one, another happy reunion was had. Elsie's seaside estate currently stands empty - all of her belongings and servants have been moved to the family estate in Alterac where she currently resides with her brother. The secret tunnel has been sealed, and the farmlands currently are having a sabbatical. Looking to the Future Elsie, having been isolated from the real world for so long, currently spends her time brushing up on Alterac history and current events. Since the entire area is still war-torn, her energies are focused on finding ways to use her considerable agriculture and animal husbandry knowledge to help the refugees and peoples of her beloved Alterac. Her recent passion is the planning of an educational facility and scholarship fund to raise the war-fatigued citizens of Alterac out of poverty and give them hope for a brighter future. Relationships Elsie remained single, due mostly to her 20 year exile, until she was in her 40's. Upon re-emerging into the Weisserose family, Sir Tyrone Baast of Greycoast http://moon-guard.wikia.com/wiki/Tyrone_Baast approached her with a rather pragmatic plan to join the two families to make them stronger politicaly - the two of them joining in marriage. Also realizing they were both beyond the prime years of courting and starting a family, the hoped that they would end up being more than compatible, and could even produce heirs to guarantee the longevity of both families. Realizing this was probably the best offer she was likely to get at her age, Elsie gave Tryone permission to approach her brother, Lord Reynaldin, and ask for his permission to court her. Lord Reynalden did give permission, however Sir Tryone was to give a blood oath to treat Elsie well - something he readily agreed to. As Elsie and Tyrone began to spend time together, they had no idea if they would even enjoy one another's company. Happily, they proved to be fast friends, and even fell in love in the weeks that followed. On the day that Sir Tyrone was elected as a Noble into the House of Lords, he celebrated by presenting Elsie with an engagement ring - ornately engraved of silver and gold with flowers and waves - it carried a special enchantment that caused it to turn solid silver when the two lovers were apart. Only when they were together, would the gold reappear, and the two precious metals would shimmer and dance as if alive. Category:Characters Category:Human Category:Alteraci Category:House of Weisserose Category:Alterac Peerage Category:Dominion of Alterac